Beneath the Same Stars
by Leishe
Summary: Very short threepart story. Lacus is away, and Kira is left to himself at the orphanage. Part Three: An odd observation about the siren. FIN
1. Missing

**Beneath the Same Stars**

**Missing**

"Bye Father! Bye Kee-rah!"

A nod, a smile, a wave.

Three people climbed into the scheduled transport shuttle, and with a rattling of dusty metal, it flew off into the sky.

"Pass!"

Rubber on hard soil. The faint artificial beeps of the Haros.

"Your turn!"

_Skip, skip, skip._

"Baby in the high chair, who put her up there…"

Young voices chanted a childish song; small feet pattered quickly on the hot ground, and then disappeared behind a wall of the building.

"Your turn!"

A round, soft thing rolled into his grasp, and he held it there. For a while.

Kira Yamato bent over for a short moment, in between passing a bright-red rubber ball to a five-year old child by the name of Joshua, and bidding goodbye to Tina and her new foster parents. His violet eyes travelled the skyline of light, sunny blue that crowned the vast array of greying white clouds over the sea.

Lacus would be home soon, from her meetings and greetings. With her pretty smile and white skin, her small fine teeth and pink cotton-candy hair, she would come to him once more, to watch with a giggle, as he ran after the orphans, and to sing to Kira as he slept, when the moon reached the midnight skies.

It had been a week since she had left; a week of living alone on the island, that is, aside from Father Markio and the children. The Haros were, as always, wreaking havoc on whatever was left unguarded by their mistress, and that included Kira. The young orphans were happy and healthy as long as everyone was concerned, and the father would just watch all the activity with a contented smile on his odd features.

"Kee-rah! Pass the ball already!" Joshua, impatient by this time, and annoyed by the fact that Kira was ignoring him, glared at the older man, irritated.

"Oh, sorry." Kira promptly rolled the red ball over to the child again, distracted. It rolled carelessly off to the side when he slapped it, bumping off a wall.

"Hey! It's getting away!" Joshua got up from his cross-legged position on the ground, struggling a bit, to chase the runaway toy, leaving Kira kneeling there, staring off into space.

The man's violet eyes met with the vast blue canvas.

The red in the sky reminded him of her hair…

But there was no red in the sky.

A few yards away stood a cluster of tall coconut trees, green leaves swaying slightly in the sea wind. Under them, sheltered in the blue-greyish shade, stood two people. One was tall, with pale skin and smallish bright eyes. The other was a lanky, thin girl, whose dark locks were tossing into her face with the weak breeze.

"Father, Mister Kira sure is acting weird today." Said a high-pitched voice, belonging to the young orphan. The girl's eyes travelled up to those of Markio's, landing briefly on those blind, unfocused eyes of his.

The man merely nodded. "Don't worry," he reassured her, "He'll be back to his old self once Miss Lacus returns. He misses her, which is all."

"Ah," Replied the girl, her penetrating gaze shifting to the kneeling figure of the young man, who was once again staring into the depths of the mysterious beyond.

"But it seems he misses someone else…"

Markio turned in her direction, slightly, his expression reflecting curiosity. "Pardon?"

But the girl just shook her head and grinned at him, her pearly white teeth gleaming in the noonday sun. "Nothing, father. Forget it."

And she skipped off towards her playmates again, to join them in their festive game of jump rope.

Part one of three. Who is Kira thinking of? I'm sure all of you know. :-) Review?


	2. No Angel

**Beneath the Same Stars**

**No Angel**

It was from a time of before. A long time ago. He had almost forgotten such a memory, since physical work and Lacus' pretty smile had driven all traces of the pain away. But it had remembered itself.

_**The Archangel. 1948 hours. **_

Tolle sat down at the white tabletop, a paper cup of coffee in his hand. From across, Mirallia looked at him for a while, then averted her gaze to the paperwork she was doing. He leaned over to see what she was up to, but she snatched it away.

"What's that, Milly?" he looked at her with puppy dog eyes, but she didn't release the paper. Her gaze was playful.

"None of your beeswax." She retorted, sliding away from him.

"Aww, come on," he wheedled, "It's not like it's a long, sappy love poem, is it?"

Upon hearing his words, her face flushed a crimson shade, and she balled the paper, crumpling it and shoving it into a pocket.

Tolle straightened up expectantly. "Is it?"

Mirallia scowled. "No."

Just then, the doors opened, and Kuzzey and Sai floated in, the latter one wearing a diminished expression on his usually cheerful face. Tolle turned from Mirallia and greeted them both, his coffee cup half-filled.

"Kuzzey. Sai." The former nodded to him, and took a seat, and a glum Sai did the same. The young woman stood up.

"You guys want some coffee?"

"I'll have some, thanks." Said Kuzzey, while Sai shook his head. When Mirallia left, Tolle turned to his black-haired friend. He jabbed a thumb casually in Sai's direction, a look of curiosity on his face.

Kuzzey mouthed something back.

'Fllay.'

"Ah…" Tolle leaned back and drained the paper cup, just as Mirallia came in with one more. She put it in front of Kuzzey, and he thanked her.

She sat down; beside Tolle this time, and grinned at Sai.

"So…where's Fllay?"

It was a few hours past dinnertime, and still, Sai had that furious, hurt expression on his face. As he walked down the corridors of the Archangel, the man shook with silent rage and pain, causing several of the other crew members and even Captain Murrue to sidestep him.

The sliding doors opened, and Sai entered the room that he shared with Kuzzey and the others. He muttered darkly, and the doors slid shut behind him.

The hangar was, as always, bustling with activity. Many things had yet to be repaired, polished and cleaned up for the next battle, and the next, and these were never finished. The days had no boundary, and only the earth-set clocks guided the crew of the Archangel through their schedules and tasks that had been set out.

A blonde man in an orange suit appeared out of the cockpit of a huge mobile suit, in his hand an array of various tools. He motioned to a young, violet-eyed boy, indicating that he come and take a look at the handiwork of the blonde man and the other mechanics.

Kira was with Mwu, looking over the repairs for the Strike, while several of the others walked around casually.

Coincidentally, two of those 'others' just happened to be Tolle and Mirallia, who had just come from their encounter with the angry Sai.

He was still teasing her about that love poem, or so he claimed it was.

"Stop it, Tolle, and it's NOT a love poem!" she berated only lightly, not really meaning to piss herself off.

"Is it for ME?" he insisted, grinning at her playfully. At this, Mirallia reddened considerably.

"NO! Now stop it!"

"Aha! So it IS a love poem!"

"…"

"Is it for Sai?"

At this, she shot him a long look, and, in exasperation, told him off.

"Don't be ridiculous, Tolle, He's in love with Fll—"

"Oh, hey guys!" The smiling face of Kira interrupted their banter, and Mirallia cut herself off. Tolle, startled but silent, only nodded.

"Oh…hi Kira..." Milly waved to him nervously, then grabbed Tolle and walked away.

The brown-haired pilot was puzzled at their behaviour, but he shrugged it off when Mwu called him back.

"Hey! Kira! Does this part squeak when you launch?"

"Coming!"

Sure he was out of earshot; Tolle slid a comment to Mirallia.

"Why can't Fllay be more like that Lacus Clyne? She seemed pretty nice…"

Mirallia considered this for a moment. If Fllay had been a bit more like Lacus…things would probably be more peaceful, and Sai and Kira wouldn't have a thick layer of invisible tension in between them. But then again, Lacus Clyne had a strange quality to her…something distinctly out of place…something that Mirallia couldn't quite put a finger on.

She shrugged at Tolle, and yawned. "I dunno…"

He nodded, checking his watch. "It's pretty late…what do you say we get to bed?"

As the two walked away, Kira's head whipped in their direction. His eyes were puzzled but narrowed, and it seemed that Tolle and Mirallia had forgotten his Coordinator-senses…

He had heard everything.

**Kira's room.**

The waves lapping up on the shore of the island woke him up; and Kira realized that it was early morning.

It had been a dream.

He lay still on his bed, white sheets tossed on either side of him. Dim sunlight trickled into his room, illuminating his face with a calm, earthly glow.

Fllay was not like Lacus, and would never be. The smiling, cheerful pink-haired girl was nice and calm and friendly; a symbol of peace and love; the world's angel. A dark, fiery-tempered young woman with fierce grey eyes and violent mood swings was a world away from Lacus Clyne; the opposite of what the world loved most.

And yet…he had loved her.

Fllay was a mystery, and was one of the most…intriguing people he had ever known. She'd hurt him, abused him, and insulted him because he was a Coordinator, but in the end she had loved him, and brought Kira the light and warmth that he had needed so much. Her voice, her passion…that was what had set her apart from the beginning.

But Fllay was gone, now; forgotten, consumed in the fires of a burning transport pod, and Lacus was there.

Lacus, with her practiced smile, her beautiful yet monotonous voice, and her pacifism.

Fllay was not like Lacus. She was no angel. She was no singer, no mild-mannered peace lover. She wasn't perfect.

_Fllay was human and flawed, like the rest of them…like the rest of us. _

Kira sat back against the bluish-white softness of the pillow, propped against the headboard of the bed. Through the grey mist outside, two white seagulls cried into the air, before disappearing into the thundering crash of the waves upon sand.

_And yet, it was her imperfectness that perfected her; Fllay, who was a paradox of sorts._

A cicada on a nearby tree stirred, testing its wings beneath the colourful armor.

A faint smile came to his lips; as Kira settled into a state of half-awakeness.

He would always love her.

* * *

Part two of three. This series will be very short. I'd rather shoot myself than write KiraxLacus, no offense to those so like that coupling. I just don't swing that way. Go Fllay:-)

ate aya: nope, not asukira...:) di naman ako tulad ni Urei Saichi eh...syempre masmagaling sya...sali ako sa C2:) thanks for your review!


	3. Plastic

**Beneath the Same Stars**

**Plastic**

They were crowded around the old television set again—the one that Lenny the mechanic had found lying behind the shed at the back and had brought back to life with a bit of tweaking. The ancient satellite dish let in fuzzy images, but when Kira helped out, it all became clearer.

Briony, the oldest of the orphans, was tiptoeing her way through them all, carrying a tray of small white cups with orange juice in them.

Below her thin legs, a small war of position was being waged between the younger children.

"Hey, your arm's in my face!"

"Not my fault, Paula pushed me!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did t—"

"Joshua, I can't see…"

"She's not on TV yet, anyway."

"Kee-rah, the picture's getting fuzzy again!"

"Okay, okay…hold on…"

And then he would cut in through the childish commotion; an awkward, tall figure amongst the brown small ones, to reach out and pound on the side of the television set a couple of times.

The picture instantly became clearer.

On screen, the Prime Minister Galen Selidar of the New Republic of Ir stood up. Ir was also a 'neutral' country, much like Orb, and Prime Minister Selidar was often seen making peace treaties and the like with other factions, federations and alliances. The most recent bond that had been established was one with the Clyne faction.

The well-built, middle-aged, moustached man stood up, and the children watched with little interest. Kira helped Briony pass out the juice.

"Friends, brothers, countrymen. When I was a young man, my father told me of his dreams of peace…"

As Kira sat back down on the chair a little way from the children, his mind wandered off a bit. Selidar was a very charismatic and equolent speaker, but the attention of the Freedom's pilot was not caught swiftly, unlike others.

After a few impatient minutes of wiggling and fidgeting in the summer heat, the children finally caught a glimpse of their second mother, smiling beside the rest of the old men.

"…and now, may I present to you, Miss Lacus Clyne, of the Clyne Faction."

Applause, but Kira's mind was still far away. The children were ecstatic; excited.

"Lacus is there!"

"Will she talk also?"

"Dunno…"

"Joshua, your orange juice is spilling…"

Briony bent down to rescue the paper cup from spilling over. Lacus began her speech.

"Dear friends and fellow lovers of peace…"

Maybe it was the lights, or maybe it was the heat that shimmered in the sultry weather that blurred Briony's vision, but when she looked up to see Lacus, her brown eyes widened in surprise.

Kira's head snapped up, his attention finally tugged at. He had noticed it too.

Lacus' skin looked like plastic.

* * *

Owari. Part three of three. Weird, ne? and very short, too. I just noticed her skin while watching SEED before. Review:-3 


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